Footing for sound-barrier walls

ABSTRACT

A footing for use to support stanchions of sound-barrier walls is a one-piece monolithic element that includes a base having a plurality of prestressing cables therein. A stanchion is accommodated in a bore defined in either a sleeve included with the base or directly in the base. If a sleeve is included, the sleeve includes a plurality of prestressing strands or rebars. One form of sound-barrier wall includes adjacent panels on opposite sides of a stanchion whereby a panel must be lifted in order to tip the stanchion over so wind forces are safely accommodated. Another form of the footing includes projections that extend into the bore. Various forms of sound-barrier wall configurations can be accommodated by the footing.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the general art of static structures, and to the particular field of static structures with an exposed configuration and having an acoustical function and support elements therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] As discussed in the inventor's prior patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,564,241 and 5,678,363, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, noise associated with roadways is a serious concern. Accordingly, the art includes examples of many sound-barrier walls which are designed to maintain noise levels adjacent to roadways at acceptable levels. The referenced patents represent the inventor's design, and those skilled in the art will know of others.

[0003] As is well known, sound-barrier walls can be very expensive, especially if a wall is very long. Accordingly, cost is a major concern to both manufacturers and purchasers of such walls. Due to the size of most projects, anything that can be done to reduce costs can have great benefits. However, cost reduction cannot be achieved to the detriment of effectiveness and certainly not to the detriment of safety.

[0004] Therefore, any cost reducing improvement associated with a roadway sound-barrier wall must account for effectiveness and safety as well as cost.

[0005] The referenced patents disclose the wall panels and methods of fabricating such panels. However, once fabricated, the panels must be erected. Panel erection can be very costly and difficult, especially in certain terrains.

[0006] Accordingly, there is a need to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier panel installation.

[0007] For example, most sound-barrier wall panels are held in place by stanchions which, themselves, are anchored in the ground by appropriate footings. Often, uneven and rocky terrain must be accommodated. All of these factors can combine to make sound-barrier wall installation difficult and expensive.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier wall installation by improving the efficiency of wall stanchion installation and set up.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is a main object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier wall installation.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier wall installation without vitiating safety or effectiveness.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier wall installation by improving the efficiency of sound-barrier wall stanchion installation.

[0012] It is another object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of sound-barrier wall installation by improving the cost-effectiveness of sound-barrier wall stanchion installation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] These, and other, objects are achieved by a footing that is reinforced in a manner which makes it cost-efficient to manufacture yet is extremely safe and stable in use. The footing is also quite versatile so various wall panel configurations are possible.

[0014] In this manner, the sound-barrier wall can be manufactured and installed efficiently yet safely and effectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES.

[0015]FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an in-place sound-barrier wall.

[0016]FIG. 2 is a top perspective of a footing for use in supporting a sound-barrier wall in place.

[0017]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the footing shown in FIG. 2.

[0018]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the footing in combination with a stanchion.

[0019]FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a footing in combination with a stanchion.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another form of the footing.

[0021]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a sound-barrier wall having multiple panels.

[0022]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sound-barrier wall in which a plurality of panels are supported by each stanchion.

[0023]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of one form of a sound-barrier wall.

[0024]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of another form of a sound-barrier wall.

[0025]FIG. 11 is an elevational view of a stanchion used to support panels in a sound-barrier wall.

[0026]FIG. 12 is an elevational view of a footing in combination with a stanchion for a sound-barrier wall in a set up configuration.

[0027]FIG. 13 is a top plan view of another form of footing.

[0028]FIG. 14 is an elevational view of a footing with panels resting on a top rim of a sleeve of the footing.

[0029]FIG. 15 is a top plan view of a sound-barrier wall similar to the wall shown in FIG. 8.

[0030]FIG. 16 is a top plan view of another form of footing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Shown in FIG. 1 is a sound-barrier wall 10 which is positioned adjacent to a roadway (not shown) to control noise generated at the roadway. Wall 10 is mounted in the ground G which can be uneven, or difficult to work in as is well known to those skilled in the art. Wall 10 generally includes stanchions 12 anchored in ground G to extend upwardly from the ground and which support sound-controlling panels, such as panel 14. Panels 14 can be formed in the manner described in the referenced patents; therefore, no discussion will be presented regarding the panels per se.

[0033] As discussed above, placing stanchions 12 in the ground can be a difficult process, especially if the ground is uneven or rocky. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a footing that can be used in an effective and efficient manner that will safely and securely support a stanchion of a sound-barrier wall.

[0034] A preferred form of the footing is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as footing 20. Footing 20 is pre-cast and shipped to the site so it can be mass produced thereby increasing the efficiency of its manufacture. Footing 20 is a one-piece monolithic element thereby increasing its strength and stability and includes a base 22 that preferably is rectangular and a sleeve 24. Sleeve 24 includes a bore 26 that extends from base 22 to a location spaced from top surface 28 of base 22. Bore 26 is shaped and sized to accommodate a stanchion when the stanchion and footer are in the assembled condition. The preferred form of bore 26 is rectangular, but other shapes can also be used as will occur to those skilled in the art based on the size and shape of the stanchions being used in the particular sound-barrier wall of interest.

[0035] Footing 20 includes a plurality of prestressing strands or rebar30 that can place as much as 270,000 lbs/in² of stress on the strand, and be as small as ½ inch in diameter. Only two pre-stressing cables are shown in the interest of clarity, but any number of such cables can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The prestressing cables are placed in the base during formation of footing 10. Footing 10 further includes a plurality of pre-stressing strand or re-bars 32 embedded in sleeve 24 during the precasting process. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, each re-bar 30 is connected to a prestressing cable.

[0036] While it is preferable to include re-bars in sleeve 24, prestressing cables can also be used if suitable.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1, 4 and 12, use of footing 10 can be understood. An appropriate hole H is defined in ground G, and footing 10 is placed in hole H. Earth is backfilled to cover footing 10 while leaving bore 26 open to receive stanchion 12. Stanchion 12 is oriented by means of turnbuckle-mechanisms, such as mechanism 36 and secured in sleeve 24 as by pouring concrete or the like into the sleeve bore around stanchion 12. As can be seen in FIG. 4, one form of stanchion 12 includes two channels 38 that can be used to accommodate panels 14 as shown in FIG. 1. Base 22 of footing 10 is rectangular with a length dimension L extending between ends 40 and 42 and a width dimension W extending between sides 44 and 46. As shown, Length dimension L exceeds width dimension W and channels 38 are oriented to open towards sides 44 and 46 whereby faces 50 and 52 of panels 14 are oriented to face ends 40 and 42. This orientation directs forces associated with wind on the panel faces along the length dimension of footing 10 which is most stable and able to accommodate such forces without tipping wall 10. Once the panels are in place, appropriate backfilling and landscaping operations can be carried out for the completed wall.

[0038] As can be seen in FIG. 5, bore 26 extends into base 22 a distance below top surface 28 but stops short of bottom surface 50 to define a bottom surface 52 on base 22 which supports stanchion 12 whereby the stanchion is bottomed on solid precast concrete of the footing.

[0039] An alternative form of a footing is shown in FIG. 6 as footing 10′. Footing 10′ includes a base 22′ similar to base 22 and which has a plurality of prestressing cables 30 extending lengthwise thereof. However, footing 10′ has a bore 26′ defined in base 22′ from surface 28′ toward bottom surface 50′ and which terminates short of surface 50′ to define a bottom 52′ which supports a stanchion accommodated in bore 26′ as discussed above with reference to footing 10.

[0040] As discussed above, the footing of the present invention is amenable to accommodating various configurations of a sound-barrier wall. Some of these configurations are indicated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10. As can be seen, a sound-barrier wall with a plurality of panels 14 in stacked configuration can be accommodated by a stanchion supported on a footing of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7 with a panel 14′ supporting a panel 14″ on a top edge of panel 14′ in the set-up configuration. Further panels can be stacked as suitable.

[0041] A single footing can support a stanchion 12′ having a plurality of anchor bolt receiving holes, such as hole 60 defined therethrough. Holes 60 are spaced apart along a length dimension of the stanchion. As indicated in FIGS. 8 and 15, a stanchion is supported on a footing in a manner discussed above, and each footing base is long enough to accommodate the stanchion as well as two panels. The panels are attached to the stanchion by anchor bolts 64 and appropriate anchor nuts 66 extending through holes 60 and aligned holes on each panel to attach each panel to the stanchion as shown in FIG. 15. Each panel is attached to one side of the stanchion so adjacent panels, such as panels 14 ₁, and 14 ₂ are on opposed sides of a stanchion. This relationship between adjacent panels weights the system so that wind forces are required to work against the weight of one panel to overturn the system on each footing. That is, for example, in order to overturn system 70 shown in FIG. 15, wind forces on the panels 14 ₁, and 14 ₂ will have to lift either panel 14 ₁, or panel 14 ₂. Since the panels are quite heavy, such a situation is quite unlikely.

[0042] Other configurations of sound-barrier walls are also possible using the just-disclosed combination of two stanchions on one footing. For example, the zig-zag configuration 72 shown in FIG. 9 and the alternate placement 74 shown in FIG. 10 can also be effected.

[0043] Yet another form of footing is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 as footing 10″. Footing 10″ includes a base 22″ that is preferably rectangular and includes the aforediscussed prestressing cables as well as a sleeve 24″ having prestressing rebars 32″ each connected to a prestressing cable as discussed above and which includes a bore 26″ for accommodating a stanchion 12. However, sleeve 24″ includes two channels 76 through which panels 14 extend into engagement with the stanchion via channels 38 in the stanchion. Channels 76 are shown in FIG. 13 as being aligned with each other, but could be offset to accommodate the staggered panel arrangement similar to that discussed above with reference to FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 15 if suitable. In such an offset configuration, one channel 76 would be located near end 78 of sleeve 24″ and the other channel would be located near end 80 of the sleeve 24″. Such offset configuration is indicated in FIG. 13 by arrows 76′ and 76″.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 14, the panels can also rest on top rim 82 of a sleeve.

[0045] Yet another alternative form of the footing is shown in FIG. 16 as footing 103. Footing 103 includes a base 223 similar to the above-discussed bases and a sleeve 243 having a bore 263 defined therethrough as discussed above to a bottom 523 defined in base 223 which supports a stanchion. However, sleeve 243 has a plurality of stanchion-engaging elements, such as set screws 84 extending into bore 263 to engage a stanchion accommodated therein. The stanchion-engaging elements further support the stanchion and supplement any support thereto from any filler material, such as concrete or the like, placed in the bore adjacent to the stanchion accommodated therein.

[0046] As can also be seen in FIG. 16, the bore in the footing sleeve can be of any suitable shape, including rectangular or circular and can be of any suitable size with any gap between a stanchion and the inner surface of the sleeve being filled with suitable filler material.

[0047] It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A footing element for use with a sound-barrier wall comprising: a one-piece, monolithic body having a base portion and a sleeve portion extending away from said base portion and having a bore defined therein; a plurality of first prestressing cables in the base portion of said body; and a plurality of prestressing elements in the sleeve portion of said body, each of said prestressing elements being connected to one of said prestressing cables.
 2. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said body is formed of concrete.
 3. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said base portion is rectangular.
 4. The footing element defined in claim 3 wherein said sleeve portion is rectangular.
 5. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said prestressing elements include rebars.
 6. In combination: a footing element comprising a one-piece, monolithic body having a base portion and a sleeve portion extending away from said base portion and having a bore defined therein; a plurality of first prestressing cables in the base portion of said body; and a plurality of prestressing elements in the sleeve portion of said body, each of said prestressing elements being connected to one of said prestressing cables; and a wall panel supporting stanchion accommodated in said body.
 7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein said stanchion includes a channel extending lengthwise of said stanchion.
 8. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said body is buried when in use.
 9. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes at least one projection extending into said bore.
 10. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said sleeve includes at least one projection extending into said bore to be accommodated in the channel of said stanchion when said stanchion is in place in said sleeve.
 11. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said projection includes a screw.
 12. The combination defined in claim 6 further including a first wall panel connected to said stanchion.
 13. The combination defined in claim 12 further including a second wall panels connected to said stanchion.
 14. The combination defined in claim 13 further including an a fastener connecting said wall panels to said stanchion.
 15. The combination defined in claim 14 wherein said stanchion is positioned between said wall panels.
 16. The combination defined in claim 12 further including an upper wall panel connected to said stanchion and being located on top of said first wall panel.
 17. The combination defined in claim 13 further including an upper wall panel connected to said stanchion and being located on top of one of said first or second wall panels.
 18. A footing element for use with a sound-barrier wall comprising: a one-piece, monolithic body having a base portion and a sleeve portion extending away from said base portion and having a bore defined therein; a plurality of first prestressing cables in the base portion of said body; and a plurality of re-bars in the sleeve portion of said body.
 19. The footing element defined in claim 18 wherein each of said re-bars is connected to one of said plurality of prestressing cables.
 20. The footing element defined in claim 1 wherein said body is pre-cast concrete.
 21. The footing element defined in claim 18 wherein said body is precast concrete.
 22. A footing element for use with a sound-barrier wall comprising: a one-piece monolithic body having a base portion with a bore defined therein; and a plurality of prestressing cables in the base portion of said body.
 23. The footing element defined in claim 22 further including a projection element on said body extending into said bore.
 24. The footing element defined in claim 23 wherein said body is pre-cast concrete. 